Cutting Loss

 

Daniel Day-Lewis as Bill "The Butcher" Cutting

Gangs of New York

 

 

John Bowlby's "Four Stages of Grief" Model

John Bowlby (1907-1990) was a noted British psychiatrist and psychologist, particularly known for his work with children. Out of this work he developed the now famous "attachment theory" that is taught in many academic programs on psychology. He also contributed to the body of work on bereavement, through his work with dying children and their parents.

• Shock & Numbness- the stunned reaction to loss, including difficulty in concentration, impaired judgement and an inability to function normally. This phase may last for a few hours or several weeks.
  
  
• Yearning & Searching- this stage involves a wide range of feelings, including guilt and anger, yearning for the loved one, and painful questions about the meaning of life and loss. There is a tendency to withdraw from others to allow this internal process to continue unhindered. This may last for months.
  
  
• Disorientation & Disorganization- a phase marked by depression and is usually a time when the loss becomes a reality, while the current state of living seems unreal.
  
  
• Reorganization & Resolution- an emergence out of the depression of the third stage, with increased energy and self-confidence and the ability to feel joy again.
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William Poole was antebellum New York City's most feared gang leader. Nicknamed 'Bill the Butcher', he was the iron fist of the nativist forces, battering men to jelly for voting Democrat or being of foreign birth.